Ridiculous History

William Walker: Filibuster and (Fantastically Bad) President

18 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The adventurer and filibuster William Walker was, in his heyday, lauded as an American hero for his repeated failed invasions of areas of Mexico and N...

Lawsonomy: How the Father of the Modern Airline Started His Own Religion

13 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

When middling baseball player Alfred Lawson first learned of the Wright Brothers, he experienced a revelation that would guide the greater part of his...

War and Candy: The Infamous Tootsie Roll Air Drop

11 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

During the battle of the Chosin Reservoir during the Korean War, the First Marine Division seemed doomed. Surrounded, outnumbered, outgunned and runni...

The Man Who Assassinated Abe Lincoln's Assassin

06 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

On April 14th, 1865, John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Abraham Lincoln in Ford's theatre, escaping shortly thereafter and going on the run. The...

The Cock Lane Ghost: Haunting, Hoax, Hysteria… or Hilarious?

05 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In 1762, crowds from across London gathered in hopes of seeing something the papers called "The Cock Lane Ghost". This alleged spirit was known to com...

Roland the Farter and the Weird World of Professional Flatulence

30 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Regardless of what polite societies often want us to believe, everyone farts. And we fart often! And, believe it or not, a few rare individuals have b...

Gregor MacGregor Invented a Country and Convinced People to Invest in It

28 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

When His Serene Highness Gregor the First, Sovereign Prince of the State of Poyais and its Dependencies, and Cacique of the Poyer nation visited Londo...

Angry Feds and Deadly Booze: The Story of the Chemists' War

23 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

From 1920 to 1933, the U.S. government attempted to ban (recreational) alcohol throughout the nation. In a stunning -- we're being sarcastic here -- t...

Project A119: The Cold War Plan to Nuke the Moon!

21 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

It sounds like something straight out of your favorite sketch comedy show -- what if a crack team of scientists joined forces with the world's most po...

Adidas Versus Puma: A Tale of Two Brothers

16 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Today Adidas and Puma are two of the industry's most well-known tennis shoe makers, and people around the world prize the footwear for its unique desi...

Fanny and Stella: The Cross-Dressing Scandal of Victorian England

14 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In April of 1870, a shocking court case captivated Victorian England: Fanny and Stella, also known as Frederick Park and Ernest Boulton, were arrested...

Kansas Imprisoned Women For Having STDs

09 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

At the close of World War I, American soldiers returned home from abroad with scars, wounds, stories and, in some cases, infectious diseases of which ...

The WWII Naval Battle Won Using Potatoes

07 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The U.S.S. O'Bannon was a Fletcher-class navy destroyer with an impressive array of weaponry and a solid track record in conflicts in WWII. However, e...

The Korean Soldier Who Fought for 3 Armies During WWII

02 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Born in what is now North Korea, Yang Kyoungjong didn't set out to become a soldier -- but fate had other plans. Join the guys as they trace one man's...

Oregon Was a White Supremacist Paradise

31 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Today Portland, Oregon is often portrayed as a left-leaning haven for hipsters across the country, but the original Oregon was a vastly different plac...

Why did people hate the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge?

26 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Nowadays most people are fans of national parks, but this wasn't always the case. Join the guys as they delve into the strange 'birds vs. babies' conf...

The 1904 Summer Olympic Games in St. Louis Hosted a Racist 'Special Olympics'

24 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A few years after Baron Pierre de Coubertin revived the ancient sporting event known as the Olympics, he brought the games to the U.S. for the first t...

When Heineken Made Bottles That Could Be Used as Bricks

19 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Heineken is one of the world's most well-known, popular beers, and people across the planet can instantly recognize the iconic green bottle and red st...

Why British Soccer Players Saluted the Nazis

17 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

As global tensions grew to a breaking point in the lead-up to World War II, European nations used every available avenue to pursue their geopolitical ...

The United States That Never Were

12 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Nowadays the number of U.S. states seems set in stone -- since 1959 the country has been comprised of fifty states, with one star for each on the flag...

Philadelphia's Transylvanian Doomsday Cult: The Cave of Kelpius

10 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

There's a nifty bit of hidden history tucked away in Philadelphia's Wissahickon Valley Park -- a cave that, legend has it, was home to a doomsday cult...

Enough About Us: What About You?

05 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

When we're talking about Ridiculous History, one thing's for sure: The story doesn't stop when the podcast ends. You've probably heard Ben and Noel me...

Weird Wars Fought For Dumb Reasons

03 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

What do a camel, a bucket and an ear all have in common? Each was, at some point, responsible for starting a war. Join Ben and Noel as they dive into ...

The FBI's Quest to Understand 'Louie, Louie'

28 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The Kingsmen's cover of "Louie, Louie" is one of the world's most famously unintelligible songs -- and this haunted the FBI. In this episode, Ben and ...

The Time a Soviet Premier Was Banned From Disneyland

26 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

At the height of the Cold War a series of debates in a model kitchen in Moscow (true story!) led Nikita Khrushchev to visit the US on a whirlwind publ...

Kidnapping, Binge Drinking and Costumes: Voter Fraud in the 1800s

21 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Allegations of U.S. voter fraud have made the rounds in recent years -- but, once upon a time, these were much more than allegations. Join the guys as...

Why don't Americans use bidets?

19 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Whether you're royalty or a roaming vagrant, a President or a pauper, one thing's for sure: At some point, you'll have to use the restroom. While sani...

The Earliest Recorded Mooning Killed Thousands

14 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

You've heard of mooning -- the practice of bearing one's butt as an insult -- but where did it come from? Join Ben and Noel as they dive into the dead...

The Presidential Reason Fido Became the Default Name for a Generic Dog

12 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

If you're like most English speakers, the first thing you think of when you hear the name "Fido" is, of course, a dog. But why? Join Ben and Noel as t...

Dock Ellis and the Legend of the LSD No-hitter

07 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Almost 48 years ago, Pirates pitcher and notorious party animal Dock Ellis pitched a no-hitter while under the influence of LSD. How did this man acco...

Maryland’s State Song was a Diss Track

05 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

On the first listen, Maryland's old state song sounds pretty innocuous. There's the usual lauding of the state, a refrain based on "O Tannenbaum" and ...

The Story of Max, South Africa's Famous, Crime-fighting Gorilla

31 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

When confronted with a home invasion, Max the gorilla brought international fame to the Johannesburg Zoo and briefly became the city's most famous cri...

How Santa Anna Lost His Leg Twice, and Held a Funeral for It

29 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Often called "The Napoleon of the West", mainly by himself, Santa Anna was a legendary, larger-than-life politician, general and exile. While hundreds...

That Time Chewbacca Needed Bodyguards

24 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Inarguably the most well-known Wookie in the Star Wars universe, Chewbacca also bears a strong resemblance to another popular creature in American cul...

Napoleon Bonaparte Was Attacked by Bunnies -- And Lost

22 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Born in Corsica, Napoleon Bonaparte rose from obscurity during the French Revolution, crowning himself Emperor of France in 1804. This brilliant, ruth...

California Was Named for a Fictional Island Ruled by a Black Amazon Queen

17 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

California was admitted to the United States as the 31st state in 1850, but it acquired its unique name much, much earlier. Join Ben and Noel as they ...

Ancient Mayan Ritual Alcohol Enemas

15 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Like many ancient cultures, the civilizations of Mesoamerica had a vast and rich history of unique cultural practices, spiritual beliefs and ceremonie...

Vermont Was an Independent Republic

10 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Today Vermont is known for its progressive politics, beautiful forestry, Bernie Sanders and Ben and Jerry's. It's not a state you'll hear much about o...

The Capture of Guam Was Bloodless and Quick, All Due to a Misunderstanding

08 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Located about 1500 miles to the east of the Phillipines in Micronesia, Guam is a small US territory with a tiny population, beautiful beaches and an i...

Are all US Presidents actually related?

03 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In 2012 a student in Salinas, California, startled genealogists when she claimed that all Presidents save one were actually related. Could it be true?...

What's the deal with two-dollar bills?

01 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Despite being pretty rare in comparison to other denominations, the U.S. two-dollar bill is one of the most storied notes in American folklore. So why...

How James Bond Created a Mexican Dia de los Muertos Tradition

26 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The Day of the Dead is a longstanding traditional celebration in Mexico, and currently hundreds of thousands of people associate it with a gigantic pa...

Did Richard Nixon Unwittingly Smuggle Drugs for Louis Armstrong?

24 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

It's become one of the strangest anecdotes in modern American history -- numerous sources will swear to you that, in a last-minute panic before reachi...

3 Times Society Refused to Accept New Books on Science

19 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Progress versus preservation: It's one of the eternal dilemmas found throughout every instance of human civilization. Should we embrace disruptive tho...

That Time We Erased a (HUGE) Waterfall

17 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

It's often been said that "the art of losing isn't hard to master", and humanity overall seems to have a knack for losing everything from car keys to ...

The Poetic Justice of Death by Molten Gold

12 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

It's a grisly death familiar to many fans of fiction and fantasy -- a hapless, greedy villain meets their end by having molten metal, often lead or go...

Japan, Baseball and the Curse of the Colonel

10 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

First things first: You may think Kentucky Fried Chicken is popular in the States, but we've got nothing on Japan. Join the guys as they delve into a ...

That Time the US Built a Flying Aircraft Carrier

05 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Nowadays airships are seen as historical relics or novelties meant to fly overhead during sports games. However, not so long ago, the US military thou...

Yes, Those Are Corpses in the Diorama

03 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The Carnegie Museum of Natural History is one of the most storied institutions of its kind in the United States, and it's chockful of priceless object...

Weird People Who Built Weird Things

29 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Simeon Ellerton spent years building a house out of stones he found and carried home, one by one. Rejected by his one true love, Edward Leeskalnin spe...

What was the West Point Eggnog Riot?

27 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Today the United States Military Academy at West Point is known as one the country's top-notch training institutions, but back in 1826 it was home to ...

Lyndon Johnson Chatted on the Phone More than a Teenager

22 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The 36th President of the United States is often recalled as a complex, flawed individual responsible for profoundly important legislation. However, h...

When Germany Sacrificed Sausage For War

20 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

World War I was a devastating catastrophe, the likes of which the world had never before encountered. The chaos swept across Europe, and whether on th...

Arsenic: The Assassin's Dream Weapon

15 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

For centuries people from all walks of life sought to eliminate friends, strangers and enemies using the devious, subtle poison known as arsenic. Arse...

The Killer Marketing Campaign Behind Guy Fawkes

13 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Nowadays people across the planet are familiar with the story of Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot. People even celebrate the anniversary of the event...

When Ancient India Beat Machiavelli to the Punch

08 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Commonly regarded as one of humanity's premiere works on the art of pursuing and securing power, Niccolò Machiavelli's book ''The Prince'' has become...

The Rise of Harvey Wiley's Poison Squad

06 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Nowadays U.S. grocery shoppers can be reasonably certain that the foods they purchase are safe (if not healthy). But this wasn't always the case. In f...

Step Aside, James Bond: The Strange Stories of Espionage Animals

01 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

It's no secret that espionage and spycraft are common tools in the murky realm of geopolitics -- but not every spy is some sort of James Bond type cha...

How MLK influenced Star Trek

27 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Star Trek is one of the world's most well-known sci-fi franchises, spanning decades in film, TV, books, games and more. While it's had its fair share ...

What was the 'Great Stink' of London?

22 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Every city has its drawbacks -- parking, for example, or crime, or the price of a decent pizza slice -- but in the 1800s London faced a particularly u...

How Farmers Built A Barbed Wire Phone Network

21 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Nowadays smartphones are an ubiquitous part of many civilizations, but not so long ago telephones of any sort were a rare commodity -- and the infrast...

The Strange Story of Canadian Margarine Bootleggers

15 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Today, most grocery stores carry a variety of margarine and butter brands -- but this wasn't always the case. In fact, both Canada and the United Stat...

When People Waged War Over Eggs

13 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

How much would you pay for an egg? Would you kill for one? Join the guys as they explore the strange story of the Gold Rush, the Common Murre and Fara...

The Wild West Was Actually Pretty Chill

08 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

If you're like most people, the phrase ''Wild West'' conjures images of brutal gunfights in dusty, tumbleweed-ridden streets, visions of criminals sli...

How A Grudge Match Launched the Ford GT40

06 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Today the Ford GT40 is one of the world's most iconic vehicles -- but this award winning automotive beast is, it turns out, the result of a serious gr...

Vitamin Donuts Were A Real Thing

01 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Donuts: they're sweet, delectable and dangerous. Nowadays they're best known as a sugary snack or a nice accompaniment to a cup of coffee, but this wa...

The Rotten, Sausagey Secret Origin of Botox

30 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Today botox is one of the world's most well-known wrinkle treatments, as well as a go-to joke in the realm of pop culture. But where did this treatmen...

The Weird World of Meat Jell-O (Gelatin Origin Story)

25 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Today Jell-O and other gelatin foodstuffs are generally relegated to world of desserts, but this wasn't always the case. In fact, gelatin took a long,...

London Made a Train for the Dead

23 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

When London was in the grips of a cholera epidemic, the already-overfilled cemetaries couldn't handle the extra bodies. So when there's literally no r...

Roald Dahl: Children's Author and Secret Agent

18 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Today author Roald Dahl is best-known for his prolific writing career -- but, as it turns out, he lived an entirely different life before he ever put ...

When did ALL-CAPS type become YELLING?

16 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

You've seen them before, whether in a forwarded spam email, a strangely passionate Facebook post or a weirdly emphatic comment on your favorite websit...

Why does the Guinness Beer Company Track World Records?

11 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Odds are you've heard about the Guinness Book of World Records, the famous, often inaccurate compilation of various impressive, important, and ridicul...

Digging Up James K Polk (For the Third Time)

09 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The average American may not hear much about James K Polk in school today, but during his time in office the 11th U.S. President was responsible for a...

Presidents Love Their Ridiculous Pets

04 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

It's no secret that, until very recently, US Presidents were known as huge fans of pets -- and they didn't limit themselves to cats and dogs! Join Ben...

The Atomic Whoops: When the US Air Force Bombed South Carolina

02 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

During the height of the Cold War, both the US and the USSR constantly ran drills in anticipation of a possible nuclear conflict. While the Gregg fami...

Waging War With Hallucinogenic Honey

28 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Honey is popular around the world, and for good reason. This addictively sweet substance is a common ingredient in hundreds of recipes, and people his...

Ben Franklin Tried To Reinvent the Alphabet

26 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

For such a popular, well-known language, English is full of strange, seemingly arbitrary rules. Most people just accept these various idiosyncracies.....

The Strange History of Antarctic Fruitcake

21 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Nowadays fruitcake is considered a stereotypical, often comical holiday punchline, but even in the modern day people across the planet can agree on at...

When the Puritans Canceled Christmas

19 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Nowadays Christmas is a globally-recognized holiday celebrated by millions of people, but in the past this wasn't the case. In fact, some groups of Ch...

Baguettes and Vacation: France versus Bakers

14 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

You've probably heard that France takes its bread seriously -- but did you know France had specific laws governing the lives of bakers? For centuries ...

What's the deal with smashing cake at weddings?

12 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Weddings are an ancient tradition, and over the millenia the various rituals associated with (theoretically) life-long partnership have evolved and ch...

Conquest via Bird Poop: One Island at a Time

07 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

If you land on a deserted island, you might be tempted to search for the basic stuff first -- food, water, shelter, and so on -- but don't forget to k...

When Scientists Hid Under Beds To Spy On Kids

05 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Let's say you're a scientist -- how far would you go to carry out a study? Back in the 1930s, two intrepid researchers went into full spy mode, stalki...

When People Thought They Were Made of Glass

30 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

In 1422, King Charles VI died after ruling France for more than 40 years. He was also remembered as Charles the Mad, in part because he was convinced ...

Nazis, Churchill and Chocolate

28 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

When Lord Victor Rothschild first heard the news, he was incredulous -- surely Nazi Germany wasn't seriously planning to assassinate Winston Churchill...

When (and why) did the US start calling its citizens consumers?

23 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Today, the terms "citizen" and "consumer" are often used interchangeably by authors, journalists and politicians. To some experts, this shift has dist...

Does the US Confederacy still exist in Americana, Brazil?

21 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

At the close the US Civil War, tens of thousands of former Confederate families fled the US for a small city in Brazil, where they sought to continue ...

Did a real-life rainmaker almost drown San Diego?

16 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Charles Mallory Hatfield considered himself a real-life rainmaker (or, as he preferred to describe himself, a 'moisture accelerator') and, when San Di...

X-Rays, Songs and Soviets: The Stilyagi Story

14 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Caught between the conflicting ideologies of the Cold War, Soviet teens were banned from collecting Western music -- smuggled records could be both ra...

Who solves murders in Antarctica?

09 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Antarctica is home to one of the most brutal climates on the planet, and the few humans living on this continent face profound isolation and cramped q...

How White America Tried to Destroy Chinese Restaurants

07 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Today Chinese restaurants serve some of the most popular cuisine in the United States, with more than 41,000 restaurants scattered around the country....

Butter: Protestantism's Secret Ingredient?

02 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The Protestant Reformation remains one of the most significant cultural events in the Western world. Martin Luther's 95 Theses addressed numerous conc...

Wharram Percy Versus The Undead

31 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Humanity has always had a fascination with -- and fear of -- the dead. And when the small medieval village of Wharram Percy felt they might become vic...

Why do British lawyers wear wigs?

24 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

For centuries some lawyers and judges in the U.K. have worn distinctive wigs during court proceedings. But why? Join Ben and Noel as they explore the ...

The Wild Hippos of Pablo Escobar

24 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

When notorious drug kingpin Pable Escobar died, he left behind a legacy of brutal crime, opulent living and, oddly enough, four hippos. Fast forward t...